What if~Ghengis Kahn never conquered Asia?
Through history, the world has seen men that tried to conquer the world. Through history, the world has seen vast empires. But none as vast and as influential on world history as the Mongol Empire. Ruled by a man who will be known as Ghengis Kahn. He has created this empire that continued to thrive long after his death. His empire helped rekindle lost relationships between Asia and Europe, and even brought the spreading of new diseases along with it. He also helped unite small kingdoms and nomadic tribes. But, what if Ghengis Kahn never rose to power, what if the Mongol Empire never existed? This is what this page will tell you, but first a little history lesson. You can always scroll down to see the Alternate History segment of this page. History Back during the 12th century, the region which will be known as today as Mongolia was a series of small tribal regions, but as the 12th century wore on, the man who will be known as Ghengis Kahn would form many relationships, and later break some of them and take their lands. One of the more famous is with his rivalry with the Wang Kahn, after Wang refused for his daughter to marry off Ghangis' son, they soon fought as well as other Nomadic tribes. After several years, Ghengis Kahn was the sole ruler of the Mongol Steppe. But he wanted more power. By using a legion of Horses, Ghengis Kahn and his vast hordes of Mongols, they went on to Storm many areas of China. Because of their fast and swift travel, the Mongols basically took the Chinese people by complete surprise, the Chinese people either fled as fast as they could, or committed suicide. During Kahn's conquest of China, he has killed as many as around 40 million Chinese people. Ghengis Kahn died in 1228 (supposedly from Malaria), his empire still expanded. At it's furthest extent, the Mongol Empire reached from as far east as Korea, and as far wast as Poland. But it's not just the Mongols' extent is what made world history according to the Empire. It is also what the Mongols helped do (good and bad). Built in 200 BC by the 1st Han Dynasty, the Silk Road was established to connect China to the rest of Asia, and to also open up trade. The Silk Road also helped connect Asia and Europe after the Roman Empire conquered Egypt. When the Mongols expanded their Empire, they re-used the Silk Road to connect their Empire to other regions in Asia as well as Europe. But it also brought along something else, a new disease known as the Bubonic Plague. Carried by Fleas as well as Rats. The Bubonic Plague was a Bacterial infection where if inside Humans, can cause the initiate to vomit blood, have respiratory problems, fatigue and perhaps it's most distinctive symptom is that the skin breaks out into purple colored boils known as Bubos. Once the initiate has this horrific disease, only has at the most 5 days to live. The Bubonic Plague (would be known as the Black Plague or the Black Death) would kill nearly 1 Billion people (65 Million in Europe alone) But by the turn of the 14th Century, the Mongol Empire fragmented into 3 sub-divisions. The Bubonic Plague had also took it's toll on the already fragmented Empire. With this, some other warlords around the World such as Zhu Yuan Zhong and Ivan The Terrible have saw to bring down the Mongol Empire in their own way during the 14th Century. By the mid to late 14th Century, the Mongol Empire finally crumbled, and in it's place other Empires and Dynasties took it's place. What if? Now it's time for that question. What if Ghengis Kahn never rose to power, what if the Mongol Empire never existed? Let's say that Ghengis Kahn, just never existed, and because of it his Nomadic tribe don't unite Mongolia and the rest of Asia. Well, one thing is for sure, most of Eastern Asia will still be fragmented. What the Mongol Empire did is that it united most of Asia when it was all shattered into mini-kingdoms or Nomadic tribal regions, and with it the Empire also help bring these 2 classes together. What the Mongol Empire also did is also helped improve Communication, by using Horses in mass and as a form of personal transportation (as Nomads had to because of their rural lifestyle), but they also revolutionized travel by using passports. In this alternate reality without Ghengis Kahn, communication is still difficult as using Horses in mass will still be yet to be known, and passports would be basically non-existent, at least for a while longer. The Silk Road wouldn't be used again. The Mongol Empire, have re-discovered the old Silk Road after it has been abandoned after the Empires in China and the Roman Empire lost their luster. The Mongol Empire also helped renew the relationship between Europe and Asia. In this alternate reality, the relationship between Europe and Asia will still be quite stagnant since both continents are still reeling from their respective empires crumbling, not to mention that most of the othertrade routes were at the hands of some Islamic kingdoms and Sultanates that weren't very interested in trading with Europe or even Eastern Asia. This also reinforces the other question, what happens to the Bubonic Plague? One thing you have to keep in mind is that the Mongol Empire is partially responsible for spreading the Plague into Europe, and the man responsible is one of many Ghengis Kahn's decendants: Jani Beg. He was on his campaign for the small coastal trading city of Khafa (on the island of Crimea), and he has a brand new plan to conquer Khafa, he plans to use his dead soldiers (killed by the Plague) as like, what can be best descirbed as chemical missiles, put them on Asian Trebechets and launch them over the high walls of Khafa, the people inside the city fled, and unknowngly brought the disease to Europe. Though, the Plague was basically a logistical disaster for Europe (as it killed 65 Million Europeans, about 1/3 of the entire population in the Continent), but the Plague *did* bring some surprising benefits. Europe was overpopulated and it's cities were very crowded when the Plague hit, and during the pandemic, it helped thin out the population in Europe, it is even said that it helped Europe advance (culturally and economically) and even saw it's most famous time in it's history: The Renaissance. In this alternate reality, without the Mongol Empire, the Plague will still exist, but not spread nearly as fast nor as far as it did in our reality. Though, it may spread into Europe, but it may take longer to reach the Continent, and thus it may take longer for Europe to see the Renaissance. There's also the possibility that Europe may never see the Renaissance. Either the Plague doesn't reach the far into Europe and not kill as many people, and Europe will still be very overpopulated as a result. There are still the other warlords that took on the might of the Mongol Empire. In this alternate reality, some warlords either come into power earlier, or later, or not come into power at all. Zhu Yuan Zhong (who would create the Ming Dynasty) had a motivation to drive out the Mongols from China. In this laternate reality, Zhu Yuan Zhong wouldn't see any reason to come into power, since the Mongol Empire never existed, he doesn't have to drive the Mongols out of China. Other warlords such as Ivan The Terrible, may have rose to power in what would be known as Russia earlier as the Mongols were his only real opponents in our reality. Russia may also have taken the land in eastern Asia (including Siberia) earlier than it did in out reality. There is also one thing to be certain, the history of both Europe and Asia will be very different if the Mongol Empire never existed. Eastern Asia will stay fragmanted for longer than it did in our reality Well, that is all I have to say. What do you think what would happen if Ghengis Kahn never counquered Asia? Until then, this is JohnnyOTGS signing out.